A department director with a media company in Shanghai who asked that his Chinese given name not be published, said he does not feel happy, even though he has an annual income of RMB300,000 (US$59,000), a well-decorated downtown apartment and a fancy car.
He said an intensive workload, little leisure time and pressure from almost all facets of life erode his happiness.
According to the White Book of Happiness of Middle Class Families released by Manulife-Sinochem early this year, Shanghai’s middle-class families are the least happy.
AsiaOne News reports that the white book was based on surveys of more than 100,000 people from 35 cities in 10 provinces and municipalities. According to the study, even in the happiest provinces such as Jiangsu, Sichuan and Fujian, more than half of middle class families said they are "not happy."